Nemean Cestus
The Nemean Cestus is a weapon seen in God of War III. It is a pair of large metal gauntlets, each forged to resemble a snarling lion's head, that greatly increases the strength of its wielder when worn. The Cestus was apparently given to its original owner, Hercules, after he slew the Nemean Lion as one of his Labours, but their relation to the beast itself is unknown. In Greek Mythology, this was also used by Helios and Hermes. In God of War III During Hercules' fight with Kratos, the former dons the Cestus as he engages the Spartan in battle. However, the Cestus are forcefully taken from him, and Kratos uses them to batter his half-brother to death. The Nemean Cestus is the only weapon able to destroy Onyx, a type of rock that frequently appears in God of War III, in the form of shields, walls and armor. They are therefore the only weapon capable of killing Skorpius, as the creature's body is armored with Onyx. The Cestus even proves useful against the Bronze Talos and, when fully upgraded, against the King of the Gods, Zeus himself. They were, however, destroyed by Zeus' astral form using a Lightning bolt. Each gauntlet of the Nemean Cestus was made of three separate parts: The lion's head, the first ring of spikes, and the second ring of spikes which was attached to a tube where Kratos fits his arms. When used, a pale blue aura often appears around each individual part. The Cestus and the Nemesis Whip are the only weapons to be destroyed by Zeus. All of Kratos' other weapons are undamaged but scattered across the floor. Orb Costs *Level 1 - n/a *Level 2 - 3,000 Orbs *Level 3 - 5,000 Orbs *Level 4 - 5,000 Orbs *Level 5 - 8,000 Orbs Damage Multiplier Level 1 *20 % Level 2 *120 % Level 3 *210 % Level 4 *300 % Level 5 *500 % Attacks Level 1 *'Increased Damage' *'Nemean Roar' - Slams the Cestus into the ground to create an explosive wave. R2 *'Ferocious Bite' - One lion head extends out to grab and pull in an enemy, slamming him with the other Cestus. L1 + O *'Erymanthion Rage - '''A powerful 2-hit combo with an explosive finish. Triangle + triangle'' *'Augean Stampede '- Forward rush that traps an enemy in a quick flurry of punches. Hold square *'Augean Stampede (Air) '- A quick flurry of punches that slams the enemy down to the ground. Hold Square '' *'Brutal Ascension '- Launches enemies into the air. ''Hold triangle *'Triumphant Labor '- A quick combo of punches ending in a powerful dash. Square, square, square Level 2 *'Increased Damage' *'Vicious Maul' - Lionheads extend on chains in a 360-degree spinning move. L1 + square *'Vicious Maul (air) '- When airbourne, lionheads extend on chains in a 360-degree spinning move. L1 + square Level 3 *'Nemean Roar Lv. 2' - Slams the Cestus into the ground to create an explosive wave. R2 *'Savage Charge' - Throws the cestus forward during an evasion, striking all in its path. R + Triangle *'Increased Damage' Level 4 *'Increased Damage' *'Crushing Strike' - Lionheads extend on chains out to each side, then slam together in front of Kratos. L1 + triangle *'Crushing Strike (air)' - One lionhead lowers to the ground, and Kratos pulls himself down to punch the ground with the other, causing a shockwave. L1 + triangle Level 5 *'Increased Damage' *'Nemean Roar Lv. 3 -' Slams the Cestus into the ground to create an explosive wave. R2 Trivia *Kratos is able to use the Nemean Cestus in the new Mortal Kombat as part of his weaponry (alongside the Blades of Exile, a Gorgon Head, the Blade of Olympus, the Bow of Apollo, and the Head of Helios). He uses them as the second hit of his X-Ray Attack, as well as the finishing blow of one of his Fatalities. *The Nemean Cestus has chains on the inside, allowing for some ranged combat that is displayed in certain attacks. *With each strike, using the Nemean Cestus, the sound of a lion roaring/growling can be heard slightly. *The Nemean Cestus are the most powerful weapon in the series after the Blade of Olympus as Kratos was able to literally smash the head of Hercules itself with that and they are the only weapon strong enough to destroy the Onyx, while the others weapons were useless against it. Gallery 20103994654 6.jpg 443px-Godofwar3_3.jpg Gow3.jpg Capture_2522.JPG|Kratos armed with the nemean cestus site_god-of-war-iii-ss-13.jpg Capture 269.JPG Hecules 3d.jpg|Hercules with the Cestus in God of War III Mortalkombatnemeancestus.jpg|Kratos with the Cestus in Mortal Kombat 2011. Cestus render.png|Nemean Cestus Cestus-orthos Izzy-1-.jpg|Nemean Cestus Concept|link=' god-of-war-3-kratos-300x300.jpg Kratos_w__Nemean_Cestus.jpg References GDC 2011 Mortal Kombat Category:God of War III Category:Kratos' Weapons Category:Items Category:Kratos' Equipment